Here you can easily see all of the newest arrivals for the 2013 season. They will be posted as they arrive, so check back often to see what is coming in the 2013 Heirloom Seeds catalog. Most will be in the catalog, but there always seems to be a few that don't quite make it in time to be in the catalog, but they will be here!
We have hand selected these varieties and new products- some from customer requests, some from our mentor's suggestions, and some from our experiences, grow-outs and equipment that we have used successfully. A few are the results of several years of traditional plant breeding.
Click on the photo or name for more details and to order.
In the American Southwest, only one plant was deliberately planted and selectively bred over long periods of time for basketmaking; Devil’s claw. The black fibers from the “claws” are unmatched for durability in hand-made baskets. Skilled craftsmen can weave a basket from devil’s claw that is water tight and will last over 30 years in daily use.
The leaves are broad and oval-triangular from 2 - 6 inches wide. Flowers are in groups of 4 - 10 and range from white to pink. Throats are mottled purple with usually two lines of purplish spots, with yellow necter guides. The plants from the desert have white seeds with claws that are greater than 7" long.
The flowers are pollinator attractants and the plants are highly heat tolerant, prividing shade for lower growing varieties with their broad leaves. The young pods are cooked or pickled much like okra. The seeds, or kernals, are oil and protein-rich and make a healthy snack.
Annual
Certified Organic
Approx 25 seeds per pack
Click on the stock number, photo, or name for more details and to order.
In Stock
Will be shipped via: FIRST CLASS MAIL VIA U.S. MAIL
Red Shiso or Perilla is an ancient edible and medicinal herb native to E. Asia. Also known as Beefsteak plant, Perilla and Wild basil. Self-seeds readily in the garden.
An erect, annual herb from the mint family that grows 12” to 6’ tall with red/purple or green stems with four parallel grooves, blooms August to October. The bright purple leaves have a pleasant sweet ginger taste with a cinnamon like scent and are used as a spice, potherb or fried and combined with fish, rice, vegetables and soups. Used to color the pickled ginger served with sashimi in Japan.
Makes a superb fresh summer salad.
Certified Organic
Approx 100 seeds per pack
Click on the stock number, photo, or name for more details and to order.
In Stock
Will be shipped via: FIRST CLASS MAIL VIA U.S. MAIL
Sheep Sorrel is known by several names - Field Sorrel, Red Weed, Sour Dock and Dog-Eared Sorrel. It is smaller than French Sorrel and a bit less pungent. Brought to the US by early European settlers it is perennial in most climates. It is high in anti-oxidants and also acts as an antiseptic, antibacterial, antiviral and antiparasitic. Early studies show anti-tumor properties as well, with research on-going. Sorrel has traditionally been used as an anti-inflammatory for arthritis and its many vitamins and minerals help with fatigue and muscle aches. The leaves are commonly eaten in salads and are rather succulent but not thick and are noticeably lop-sided. Excellent on sandwiches, in salads or just to munch on. Leaves shrink tremendously in cooking, so gather much more than you think is needed.
A slender plant with leaves 1/2 to 3/4 inch long and arrowhead shaped, it grows best in pastures and drier soils, unlike French Sorrel that needs regular moisture. With cooler weather the plant is tinged with a red coloring. The flowers are yellow-orange for the male and red-orange for the females on long stalks and produce very small triangular seed pods.
Certified Organic
Approx 100 seeds per pack
Click on the stock number, photo, or name for more details and to order.
In Stock
Will be shipped via: FIRST CLASS MAIL VIA U.S. MAIL
Brown Seed Sesame is high in protien and oil, as well as vitamins and minerals, due to the deep root structure making it an excellent whole food for the home gardener or small scale famer. It is easy to grow with significant heat, drought, disease and insect resistance for crops in arid or marginal areas, or as a back-up or emergency crop in case the main food crops fail.
An annual herb grown for its edible seeds in long pods. Tropical and heat loving, it thrives wherever cotton can be raised. Dried seeds taste nutty; their flavor is dramatically increased by toasting. Seeds are dry roasted and used whole in cooking or ground and used as a paste for flavor.
Annual
Certified Organic
Approx 100 seeds per pack
Click on the stock number, photo, or name for more details and to order.
In Stock
Will be shipped via: FIRST CLASS MAIL VIA U.S. MAIL
Golden Flax is both a fiber and a seed plant that has been grown since long before ancient Egyptian times. Flax is one of the oldest fiber crops in the world, dating to caves in prehistoric Georgia 30,000 years ago, and was one of the prized cloths in Pharaonic Egypt. The seeds are used as a culinary oil and a nutritional supplement, both with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids and anti-oxidants.
Flax grows about 4 ft tall on slender stems with long slender leaves. Flowers are almost always a shade of pale blue, occasionally white or bright red and each contain several seedpods. Flax is productive, a small 4 square foot patch is enough to harvest enough fiber to make a basket along with seeds for bread or crackers. Will grow about anywhere in the US in a range of soils and climates. Prefers full sun and deep, fertile, well-drained soil for best productivity.
Annual
Certified Organic
Approx 200 seeds per pack
Click on the stock number, photo, or name for more details and to order.
In Stock
Will be shipped via: FIRST CLASS MAIL VIA U.S. MAIL
